The Animal That Desires
Momus Lyrics

I am cursed with a strange delusion:
I have an unusual belief that I cannot control:

I imagine myself to be
I have a fantasy where I believe:

The only creature in the world that desires
I am the only animal in the world that has a sexual desire:

And reproduces sexually
And I am also unique in that I procreate through sexual means:

And everybody else is an amoeba
I think that everyone else is a simple, single-celled organism:

A tapeworm, a eunuch or virus
Or some kind of parasite, castrated man, or infectious agent:

(Nicholas, don't be so ridiculous, Nicholas)
(Someone is telling me to stop being absurd)

So I sit on the tube trying desperately to conceal
I try my best to hide my abnormality while riding public transportation:

This embarrassing anomaly
This shameful, irregular condition that I possess:

This sin particular to me
This personal wrongdoing, unique to my situation:

For I, uniquely, must carry the rose
I am the only one who must bear the burden of desire:

I, uniquely, have a cock beneath my clothes
I, alone, have male genitalia beneath my clothing:

And dream uniquely lewd dreams in front of multiplex screens
And have pornographic thoughts that are specific and peculiar when watching movies:

It's as though I (and I alone)
It feels like I am the only one who:

Should be punished for the Universal Sin
Should be held accountable for the sins of all humanity:

Which reminds me of someone
This idea reminds me of a particular person:

But I am not like Him
But I am not the same as that person:

I am the only animal in the world that desires
I am convinced that I am the only creature in the world that experiences sexual longing:

Wandering lost amidst cathedral spires
I wander aimlessly among the tall towers of churches:

Sacrificed on behalf of the general
I feel like I am sacrificing myself for the greater good:

Possessor of an unruly genital
I am the owner of a genitalia that is difficult to control and manage:

Amongst the dead I beat my breast
I lament openly, even among the dead:

Proclaim my sinful proclivity
I proclaim my tendency toward sexual sinfulness:

For simply living outside captivity
For the sole reason of living a life unrestrained by societal norms:

Sexually, as if I were unique, and the world uniquely unforgiving
As if my sexuality was an anomaly, and the world was unwilling to forgive me:

Somebody please understand me!
I desperately need someone to comprehend my situation:

Tell me you feel the same way!
I want someone to tell me that they share my sentiments:

So I sit on the bus trying furiously to conceal
I try hard to keep my abnormality a secret while on public transport:

This inexplicable lust, this outlandishly physical zeal
This desire that I cannot explain, this intense longing for physical pleasure:

That, if I were to reveal, would seem simply surreal
If I told someone, it would seem so bizarre that it would be deemed unrealistic:

In your eyes when you realise
When you become aware of my situation and understand:

I think differently from you
I have a different attitude and experience regarding sexuality than you do:

Amidst the phallic towers
Among the tall, erect buildings:

Amidst the birds, the bees and flowers
Surrounded by the animals and plants that are part of the reproductive process:

The people too
Including the other humans as well:

Being ushered towards my funeral pyre
I feel like I am being punished for my sexual desires:

The example, the victim, the criminal
I am simultaneously viewed as someone to learn from, someone to pity, and someone who has done wrong:

Won't someone understand me
Is there no one who can empathize with my struggles:

Help me bear the strain
Support me in carrying the burdens that come with my situation:

Say they feel the same way
Tell me that others share my feelings and experiences:

Say I'm not to blame
Please don't place the blame on me for something I cannot control: